Organizers aim for a shorter, smaller First Friday with a new focus

City leaders met with First Friday stakeholders again Tuesday night to discuss the future of the city’s most popular art festival, which could lead to several changes to next month’s event.

Although reporters were not allowed to attend the meeting, participants said afterward that they voted to adopt a number of recommendations for next month’s festival. The March 1 event will be a toned-down version of First Friday, dedicated to peace, unity, healing—and there will be neon green t-shirts to symbolize combating violence.

“It’s not going to be a street party in the way they normally are,” said Sean Maher, mayor Jean Quan’s communications manager, after the Tuesday meeting. “It’s going to be a smaller and more low-key event.”